First lady Melania Trump and representatives from Russia and Ukraine described a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky as a possible first step toward a broader peace agreement, speaking at the White House on Thursday.
Trump said the agreement put humanitarian concerns ahead of the fighting and could encourage further progress. She said that lasting change can begin with a small step, and that the sides could build on the truce to achieve something more durable.
Trump said she learned of the humanitarian crisis in September and asked her representative, Marc Beckman, to contact both countries. According to her, Russia and Ukraine agreed to work with her as an intermediary to arrange the ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region, deliver aid and establish a safe route for civilians to leave.
Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said President Vladimir Putin valued President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war. He also said Putin had backed proposals involving prisoner exchanges, the release of U.S. prisoners and other humanitarian measures.
Dmitriev said cooperation between Russia, Ukraine and the United States could benefit people beyond the countries involved. He called for continued humanitarian work and a future built around peace and partnership, and thanked Melania Trump for what he said were her efforts to help people.
David Arakhamia, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s political party, described the ceasefire as the most significant easing of tensions since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. He thanked Trump and said public confidence in the effort had grown sharply since it began, though some remained doubtful.
Arakhamia said he believed peace was now a question of timing. Helping civilians leave the Russian-controlled city, he added, was an important step in considering how a wider settlement might work and what would happen to the occupied territory in southern Ukraine.
He recalled that residents initially stayed inside, unsure whether the ceasefire would hold. In the following days, people began moving around their homes and checking damaged property and belongings. Arakhamia said watching the process had been emotional, and that both sides were beginning to learn practical ways to maintain calm.
Dmitriev attended the White House event and met with U.S. officials, according to people familiar with the matter. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, was also present.
